The present invention relates to displays, and in particular to a fold out display that is particularly adapted to support a wide variety of different types of group work activities, team projects, and other similar uses.
Displays are generally well known in the art, examples of which include stationary blackboards and/or marker boards for school classrooms or the like, as well as portable easels to retain flip charts, graphs, etc., for conference rooms, and other similar group areas. While such displays have proven generally effective for their intended environments, these uses are relatively limited. More specifically, prior art displays have a fixed size and shape, and are typically not very flexible and/or adaptable to permit them to be used effectively in conjunction with a wide variety of different settings, particularly with respect to group work activities and/or team projects.
Modern problem solving techniques involve group work, such as self-managed teams, or others involved in team problem solving techniques, wherein a relatively large number of workers from different disciplines, such as engineering, design, manufacturing, sales, marketing, purchasing, finance, etc. meet together as a group to define and review issues, and set general policy, and then break out into smaller sub groups or into individual assignments or projects to resolve those specific problems relating to their particular discipline. Group work is steadily gaining importance as a way of improving productivity and time-to-market, thereby emphasizing the need to support such activities more efficiently and effectively. Displays now play an important role in supporting group activities. The increased popularity of team problem solving and collaborative work styles creates the need for displays that are as quickly adaptable as today's workers, and are capable of addressing a broad range of communication styles and work process needs.